From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The events of the day were thought-provoking. Yao Mengkang also pondered them deeply.

But Yao Mengkang also knew that he was just a small boat in the Opening Meridian Realm, with no choice.

The only thing we can do now is to keep getting stronger.

The night was as dark as ink, and all was quiet.

In the outer courtyard of Qinglu Academy, most of the houses were shrouded in darkness and slumber.

Only the cold moonlight fell, spreading a layer of silver frost on the bluestone slabs.

Two ghostly figures dressed in disciple robes, taking advantage of the shadows of the buildings, silently approached the relatively secluded courtyard where Yao Mengkang lived.

Their movements were light and their breathing was extremely controlled, clearly indicating that they were experts in this field.

"This is it." One of the slightly short and stocky figures lowered his voice.

His gaze was fixed intently on the tightly closed door, his eyes revealing undisguised greed.

"That kid got the Earth Vein Spirit Milk yesterday, and then such a big thing happened during the day today, the Earth Vein Spirit Milk must still be in his hands!"

Upon hearing this, another tall, thin figure's eyes also flashed with a hint of fervor, but he was more cautious and carefully sensed his surroundings.

He frowned slightly: "Something's not right. Can you sense it? Around this courtyard..."

The short, stocky figure was taken aback, also focusing his attention on sensing, and then his expression changed slightly:

"It's a barrier! This kid is cautious; he set up a barrier to protect himself right after getting the treasure."

This barrier was naturally set up by Yao Mengkang after he broke through to the twelfth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, relying on his even stronger cultivation.

Although it's not particularly advanced, it's enough to warn and deter some malicious individuals from spying. Once provoked, he can immediately detect it.

The two figures froze in the shadows, hesitating for a moment.

"What should we do? There's a barrier. If we force our way in, we'll definitely alert him, and we might even cause a commotion that attracts the night patrol officers." The tall, thin figure spoke with concern.

Taking action against a disciple who has just won a competition award within the academy is extremely risky.

The short, stocky figure's face was a mixture of greed and struggle as he growled:

"What are you afraid of! We'll act masked, finish this quickly, grab the spirit milk, and flee immediately. Who will know it was us? It's ley line spirit milk, three drops!"

"This is enough to allow us to break through our bottlenecks and even condense our Yuan Core! If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another chance in our lives!"

The tall, thin figure was clearly persuaded as well, his breathing becoming heavier, but his remaining rationality made him hold his companion down.

"Let me think. Maybe we can knock on the door and wait for him to open it. Once we're in the courtyard, he'll be completely at our mercy."

The voice of the short, stocky figure pierced directly through the barrier.

"Zhang Peng, the night patrol disciple!"

"Open the door!"

Inside the courtyard, Yao Mengkang, who had met Zhang Peng once before, gasped in shock; this person was definitely not Zhang Peng.

Yao Mengkang was not in a deep sleep.

Having just broken through to the twelfth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, his spiritual sense is sharp, his body's energy is harmonious, and his perception of the outside world is far greater than before.

He had already become alert when the two dark figures approached the courtyard wall.

He quietly got up without lighting a lamp, and like a cheetah in the dark, he silently came to the door, sensing the situation outside through the crack in the door and the barrier.

"Judging from their auras, they are both at the Spirit Sea Realm... one in the middle stage and the other in the late stage?" Yao Mengkang's heart sank slightly.

There are no Spirit Sea Realm disciples in the outer courtyard. Judging from the age and aura of these two, they should be senior brothers who are outer sect deacons.

It's late at night, so the visitors probably have ill intentions and are far stronger than him.

Opening the meridians and the spiritual sea represent a qualitative change, where primordial energy transforms into liquid, and both the total amount and the power are incomparable.

With his current strength at the twelfth level of the Qi Refining Realm, he might be able to hold his own against someone in the early stage of the Spirit Sea Realm, but against someone in the middle or late stage, he would basically be sent to his death.

My mood instantly turned sour.

Anyone targeted by such a malicious visitor late at night would likely find it difficult to remain calm.

He was rapidly considering countermeasures.

Although the academy has rules, at this moment, it's too late to help in a crisis.

Direct conflict is too risky.

Just as he was focusing his attention and weighing the pros and cons, he was on high alert.

The stone bead, which existed nowhere, suddenly emitted an extremely subtle fluctuation from an unknown part of the body.

He focused his mind, trying to understand the fluctuation.

In an instant, a clear and chilling message seemed to be projected directly into his consciousness; it wasn't in words, yet he instantly understood its meaning:

[Target 1: Mid-stage Spirit Sea Realm. Greed (strong), malice (strong), killing intent (moderate), hesitation (slight).]

[Target Entity Two: Late-stage Spirit Sea Realm. Greed (strong), Malice (strong), Caution (moderate), Anxiety (mild).]

Yao Mengkang was deeply shocked!

This...it actually knows other people's specific emotions?!

This is simply a powerful tool for understanding people's hearts!

In combat and interpersonal interactions, being able to sense the other party's emotional tendencies in advance undoubtedly gives you a huge advantage!

He immediately understood the state of the two people outside.

Driven by greed for the earth vein's spiritual milk, they were filled with malice and even murderous intent.

However, they also hesitated and were anxious, clearly wary of the academy's rules and the potential consequences.

This discovery put Yao Mengkang's mind at ease a little.

The enemy was not an invincible assassin; they were also weighing the risks.

Inside the hospital, Yao Mengkang was engaged in a fierce internal struggle:

"Open the door? No way! These two are so clearly malicious and murderous. Opening the door would be like letting wolves into the house."

Their strength far surpasses mine. If they don't obtain the Earth Vein Spirit Milk, and once they make their move, I'm afraid I won't even have a chance to call for help.

"They won't open the door? They've obviously confirmed I'm inside; this barrier won't hold them off for long."

"If they were determined to forcefully break through the barrier, the commotion would alert others. But if they were desperate and quickly killed me before fleeing..."

"What should I do? Pretend I'm not here? They won't believe me."

"To show weakness and beg for mercy? Facing a cultivator filled with malice and greed will only embolden them further."

Yao Mengkang frowned, then suddenly glanced at the Breakthrough Pill placed on the wooden table...

Outside the courtyard, two shadowy figures were also engaged in an internal struggle:

A tall, thin figure (transmitting a voice): "Brother, the barrier hasn't been removed, and there's no movement inside. Has that kid discovered us?"

The short, stocky figure (transmitting a voice): "So what if he found out? A mere Qi Opening Realm kid, what can he do? I can slap him to death!"

A tall, thin figure (advising): "Brother, calm down! This is the academy! If we cause a scene, we'll be in deep trouble! Or... should we wait a bit longer? Maybe he's asleep?"

The short, stocky figure (unwillingly): "Wait? Wait until dawn? The Earth Vein Spirit Milk is right before our eyes! With it, we brothers can advance even further!"

The tall, thin figure hesitated: "But... although this barrier isn't strong, forcibly breaking it will definitely cause a significant fluctuation in elemental energy. What if it alerts any elder..."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the head of the short, stocky, dark-skinned man.

The fat on his face twitched a few times; the terrifying strength of the elders in the courtyard still made him feel lingering fear.

Is it worth risking your life and future for the Earth Vein Spirit Milk?

The two fell silent, the air thick with a tense tug-of-war between anxiety and greed.

Just then—

The barrier that covered Yao Mengkang's courtyard silently dissipated.

"Squeak—"

A soft sound, exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The wooden door to Yao Mengkang's courtyard opened slowly and automatically, as if blown open by the wind.

But how is that possible?

The moonlight, like water, poured in and illuminated the slightly thin but upright figure in a blue robe standing at the doorway.

Yao Mengkang wore a perfectly measured smile, his eyes clear, as he looked at the two people in the shadows, his tone calm and even:

"My two senior brothers, what brings you here so late at night?"

"Such a big thing happened during the day, and the senior brothers still have to work hard patrolling at night."

"My two senior brothers have devoted themselves to the safety of the academy, which I truly admire."

"Speaking of which, after what happened during the day, Dean Ouyang even bestowed upon me a protective divine power!"

His right hand hung naturally at his side, while his left hand was hidden in his sleeve, tightly gripping the jade bottle containing the Breakthrough Pill. The stopper had been quietly pried open slightly.

He fused chaotic spiritual power with fire attribute power, drawing upon the immense medicinal power of the Breakthrough Pill, and then used exquisite Yuan power to confine it within the bottle.

It forms a power similar to the Dean's wind and fire attributes, drawing it in but not releasing it.

"I wonder if I can fool these two senior brothers who want my Earth Vein Spirit Milk," Yao Mengkang thought to himself.

At the same time, the stone bead emitted a clear vibration once again:

[Target Entity 1 (Short and stocky): Shock (intense), Greed (decreased), Fear (intense), Doubt (mild).]

[Target Individual Two (Tall and Thin): Shock (intense), Greed (decreasing), Vigilance (rapidly increasing), Fear (intense), Suspicion (moderate).]

Sure enough! The unexpected act of opening the door disrupted their rhythm.

It made the two guys feel scared and uneasy.

But this surprise and doubt did not completely intimidate them, so let's add fuel to the fire!

The two figures dressed in disciple robes were clearly not expecting this scene.

Did the dean really grant him protective supernatural powers?

Fear flickered in the eyes of the short, stocky figure, while a hint of hesitation flashed in the eyes of the tall, thin figure beside him.

The tall, thin figure stepped forward, chuckled twice, and deliberately kept his voice low:

"Hehe, junior brother, excuse me. We were just on night patrol and happened to be passing by."

"I sensed some unusual energy fluctuations and came to investigate. Junior Brother, are you still awake?"

He tried to find an excuse, but his gaze kept wandering towards Yao Mengkang, as if searching for the so-called protective supernatural power.

Yao Mengkang sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm:

"I'm sorry to trouble you two senior brothers. Just now, I accidentally stirred up a bit of energy while using the protective magic given to me by the Dean of the Research Institute."

Unfortunately, this is a passive defensive divine ability that cannot be activated autonomously; at most, it can only draw upon a wisp of energy.

He raised his left hand, which was hidden in his sleeve, and a pure and powerful aura of wind and fire attributes emanated from it.

This aura immediately made the two figures panic, almost making them want to turn around and run away.

[Target Individual 1 (Short and stocky): Vigilance (intense), Fear (intense), Suspicion (intense).]

[Target Individual Two (Tall and Thin): Vigilance (intense), Fear (intense), Suspicion (intense).]

A cool night breeze blew by.

At the entrance of the courtyard, three people faced each other, the atmosphere eerie and tense.

A seemingly unequal conflict is maintained in a delicate and fragile balance due to Yao Mengkang's unexpected actions and Jinshouzhi's insightful foresight.

Ultimately, the choice seemed to have been thrown back to those two late-night thugs.

Turn around and run now

They should at least show some concern before turning around and running away.

Yao Mengkang's hand, hidden in his sleeve, relaxed slightly. He could sense that the two men were completely intimidated.

"I see, junior brother. The abbot's cultivation is so profound that he actually gave you a protective divine power."

"Across the entire continent, as long as Junior Brother doesn't provoke those old monsters who have gone into seclusion, I'm afraid no one can pose a threat to him."

"In that case, we two shall continue our inspection of other areas. Junior brother, farewell."

The tall, thin figure mustered his strength and tried his best not to give Yao Mengkang any clues as he spoke.